Happy New Year

We had a great New Year. We spent it at Edisto Beach with Jamie's family. We stayed at a house called "The Pelican Brief." Somewhere along the way, Eli started calling it "The Pelican Underwear." I'm not sure exactly how he figured out that underwear was also called briefs and put them together. I'm sure he had some help, just not sure who to give credit to. : )
The kids loved the beach. They enjoyed going out and walking along throwing shells back into the ocean. The first morning there, Uncle Charlie found a dead octopus on the beach. We all went out to look at it and take some pictures. Of course, it is too tempting to be at the beach and not play in the sand. So, Eli and Katie found some sand to play in for a little while. The first day or two there was wonderful weather. The kids even played in the water for a few minutes. I think Jamie was the one who got in first. So the other kids followed. I can't say for sure because I was in the house feeding Ginny. All I know if Eli came running into our bedroom naked and Jamie put him in the shower while Katie was upstairs bathing. The kids did enjoy hot chocolate as a way of warming up.
I bought a kit of some gingerbread cookies one day while at the Piggly Wiggly. The kids really had a good time decorating them and eating all of the frosting off. Olivia showed them how to make a "fire" with pretzels as the logs, cheese whiz as the fire, and red hots as the embers. Katie really enjoyed the cheese.
Ginny turned 5 weeks old at the beach so I snapped a picture of her doing her favorite thing--sleeping in her seat.
On the way home on Wednesday, we took our time and drove through Charleston. We visited the SC Aquarium. It didn't take us long to walk through, but the kids enjoyed seeing the animals. Katie and Eli both touched a huge boa constrictor. Eli was a little scared of it and only touched it very briefly, but Katie was just rubbing the snake and talking to it. I'll have to watch her carefully outside or else she'll be searching for snakes to pet. YUCK!
It was nice to have Jamie be able to take the time off of work and for all of us to be there together the entire time. We had a blast with family and look forward to our annual trip again next year.